Dog Diseases

The efficacy of pharmacological interventions used to treat canine atopic dermatitis, excluding fatty acid supplementation and allergen-specific immunotherapy, was evaluated based on the systematic review of prospective clinical trials published between 1980 and 2002.

INTRODUCTION: The peer-review literature contains no controlled clinical research of homeopathy in cats and very little in dogs. MAIN OBJECTIVE: To collect clinical outcomes data systematically from individualised homeopathic treatment of cats and dogs that would help to inform controlled research in feline and canine homeopathy. METHODS: Twenty-one homeopathic veterinary surgeons recorded data systematically from consecutive feline and canine patients over a 12-month period.

This review assesses the evidence for the efficacy of therapies used in the management of osteoarthritis in dogs on the basis of papers published in peer-reviewed journals in English between 1985 and July 2007. Sixty-eight papers were identified and evaluated. They considered four alternative therapies, one use of functional food, two intra-articular agents, six nutraceutical agents, 21 pharmacological agents, two physical therapies, three surgical techniques and two combinations of weight control.

Integrative medicine is the combined use of complementary and alternative medicine with conventional or traditional Western medicine systems. The demand for integrative veterinary medicine is growing, but evidence-based research on its efficacy is limited. In veterinary clinical oncology, such research could be translated to human medicine, because veterinary patients with spontaneous tumors are valuable translational models for human cancers.

Companion animals represent an under-utilised resource. The present paper is designed to encourage collaborative studies. Dogs and cats are out-bred animals that are willing to consume a consistent diet for long periods, so are ideal candidates for prospective studies of naturally-occurring disease. In some studies the effect of diet on survival has been substantial.

The use of complementary and alternative medical therapies is becoming widespread. The objective of this study was to examine the use of complementary and alternative therapies in dogs and cats with cancer. The types of modalities used, the intended purpose for each modality, sources of information pet owners used, and the level of interest in these modalities were all evaluated. Information was obtained by written survey, and 254 owners agreed to participate. Complementary and alternative therapy use was commonplace, with 76% of surveyed owners reporting some use.

OBJECTIVE: To report a correlation between the increased number of medical marijuana licenses and marijuana toxicosis in dogs in a state with legalized marijuana for medical use. DESIGN: Retrospective case series from January 1, 2005 to October 1, 2010. SETTING: Private specialty referral hospital and a university teaching hospital. ANIMALS: A total of 125 client-owned dogs presenting for known or suspected marijuana toxicosis with or without a urine drug screening test (UDST). INTERVENTIONS: None.

Early recognition of CPA is the key to its successful management. For resuscitation to be managed successfully, effective forward blood flow must be established at the onset of the arrest. In our clinical experience, we have found that the Doppler unit allows us to assess the effectiveness of cerebral perfusion better than any other method of blood pressure evaluation. If, by Doppler monitoring results, cerebral perfusion is found to be poor, blood flow may be mechanically improved by instituting high dose epinephrine therapy and interposed abdominal counter-pressure techniques.

The experimental production of a myocardial infarction (MI) in the dog was achieved adopting a new catheter technique. After induction of the MI, a variety of arrhythmias appeared and were classified according to the Lown-classification as more or less severe. The therapy was achieved with antiarrhythmics class 1-111 (Vaughn-Williams classification) for late premature ventricular beats or couplets. Sinus tachycardia was often terminated by occular or sinus carotis pressure or a new selective sinus blocking agent.

This article reviews the present state of the art of resuscitation of dogs and cats. The purpose of resuscitation is to revive animals so that the vital functions resume together with a normal brain function. Resuscitation must be started as soon as the cardiopulmonary arrest has been confirmed. Adequate ventilation and effective circulation to the most vital body organs, the heart and the brain, have the highest priority.